


We Would Often Be Sorry If

by teand



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen, under 1000 words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-10
Updated: 2009-08-10
Packaged: 2017-10-31 14:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/345098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teand/pseuds/teand
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toshiko finds a lamp in the archives.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Would Often Be Sorry If

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted in tw_flashfic for the three wishes challenge.

She found it in a box in one of the storerooms. She'd been looking for an old 56K modem – alien technology sometimes responded to the damnedest things – and instead she found a lamp. It looked more like a brass gravy boat actually, but she knew what it was. It looked just like its pictures. At some point, something had been etched around the outside curve of the lid but time and handling had reduced what had probably been words to random lines and curves.

"Be careful with that." And a familiar hand closed around hers as she jumped and nearly dropped the lamp.

"Jack." When he released her, she turned, the brass beginning to warm under her fingers. "Is this actually what it looks like?"

"Yes. Although it isn't actually what you think it is."

She couldn't always tell when he was lying to her but she always knew when he was telling the truth – totally illogical but then, bottom line, so was Jack. Illogical in a way that meant defying logic not that he himself made no sense. Although, very often he didn't. Except, she suspected he did that on purpose...

"Tosh?" A sardonic lift of a dark brow.

"Does it grant wishes?"

"Yes."

"Three?"

"Once. There's one left."

She frowned. "Why would someone use two wishes and leave the third?"

"The second wish was used to undo the first wish." Jack smiled then, but it didn't reach his eyes. It couldn't reach his eyes because his eyes, just for a moment, were dark with...

Then he blinked. And his eyes were only blue. But the lines at the edge of his mouth were maybe a little deeper.

She turned, put the lamp carefully back into the box, taped the box shut, shoved the box into a corner, and stacked an accordion file of old phone receipts on top of it.

When she turned again, Jack was gone. He'd be back though. When she was done, he'd be back and he'd move the lamp somewhere a little safer. Somewhere deeper into the labyrinth of storerooms. Nowhere safer than the Torchwood storerooms, really.

"We've lost the bloody Arc of the Covenant down there," Owen had told her once when he'd emerged after searching unsuccessfully for a new pack of sutures.

She hadn't believed him. Then.

Jack would move the lamp to keep her from being tempted. But she wouldn't be. Not after...

Not without a wish remaining to put things right.

\--end--


End file.
